RCBA Rules 2008

These are additional rules to the generally accepted rules of baseball that the Royal Canadian Baseball Association has adopted over the years.

1. All games are for fun.
2. Home team will be determined by a coin toss.
3. The game is nine innings long unless weather or sunset create a condition where it is unsafe to play. Team captains must agree to play to the end of an inning or take the score from the last complete inning.
4. A team must have eight players by the end of the third inning, including three girls otherwise the game is considered a forfeit.
5. Up to 12 players on the field at a time. A team must play 3 girls every inning, 1 of whom must be in the infield (1b, 2b, 3b, SS).
6. Pitch to your own team - 3 pitches to each batter.
7. No bunting, a full swing is required. Any hit ball in fair territory is in play.
8. Pop ups in foul territory will be considered a strike and IF caught by the catcher will not be considered an out.
9. Bat throwing will result in one warning, then an out.
10. The batting order must remain consistent throughout the game. All players must bat.
11. A pinch runner may be employed if the batter reaches base safely. The runner must be the person of the same gender most recently called out.
12. Lead-offs - There are no lead offs allowed. You can only leave the bag when the bat makes contact with the ball (foul balls included). If you leave the bag before the batter hits the ball or if you leave and the batter swings and misses the ball for a strike that is considered a lead off. The first time doing so will result in a warning, any other time will result in an out, no limit.
13. When a fly ball is caught, a player must "tag-up" and then may advance.
14. No sliding . If a player slides into any base, the player is out. If you overrun second or third base, you may be tagged out. You must slow down in order to stop in time and avoid sliding.
15. To avoid collisions: when a player is running home they are to run behind home plate, avoiding any contact with home plate. Any player will be called out if contact is made with home plate.
16. Once a player crosses the commitment line on the way home they must continue. Returning to third base will considered an out.
17. For all overthrows , everyone advances one base unless you are playing at a diamond where there are fences behind first and third base that keep the ball in play.
18. A ball hit near an obstacle (i.e. building, tree, etc.) will be considered to be a ground rule double unless it is very clear to all parties the ball is playable.
19. Pitcher and live/dead balls
    • Pitcher must attempt to move out of the way. If the batted ball hits the pitcher, it will not count as an out, but as a dead ball repitch. All runners return to their original base.
    • If a ball is being thrown in to a bag/home and pitcher is hit by the ball, the play is dead and all runners will return to the most recent bag crossed. For example, a runner trying to make it home and the pitcher is hit, that runner will return to third.
    • Only an infielder may throw the ball to the pitcher. If an outfielder throws the ball to the pitcher, the pitcher does not have to catch the ball, if they choose not to catch it, it is considered a live ball.
20. No defensive player shall block a base path unless he is playing the ball. No base runner shall interfere with a defensive play.
21. The infield cannot move within the base paths until the ball is hit.
22. Any base coach must not intentionally interfere in any way with the ball (or the batter is out), runner or defensive player, whether in foul or fair territory.
23. Umpires
    1st base umpire (1st base coach) calls first and home, 3rd base umpire (3rd base coach) calls third and second, including the commitment line. The catcher calls the foul balls.
24. Mercy Rules
    • Maximum of 12 runs in an inning. The last inning is open and unlimited.
    • After the 7th inning a team that is losing by 15 or more rums has the option to call a halt to the game.
25. Rain Outs - 4:30 PM will be the time IF games are to be cancelled. The commissioner will send an email out at that time based on weather forecast and field conditions. IF no cancellation email is sent out and you do not show up for the game, you will have defaulted the game and given a loss.

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